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Scenting dried tea with flowers and other botanicals is one of the oldest and most-guarded tea making tradition from China. From the elegant jasmine tea to the untamed lapsang souchong, this method of adding additional flavor to tea, therefore creating a completely transformed tasting profiles is implemented in many places and resulting in many different classic flavors. There are many ways to introduce added flavor to tea. In this post, I'm going through a little background story of some of the most well known scented and flavored tea and how they're made. I'm also including some easy recipes that can help you recreate these experiences and conjure your own signature flavor. In this post, I'll be focusing on the following flavored tea, all of which can be easily made from your kitchen, too: blended tea with other botanicals citrus cured tea tea scented with essential oil smoked tea Jasmine tea: tea with other botanicals There's nothing more sensual and alluring than the scent of fresh blooms. This is the flowers' desperate yearning to connect to the circle of life, at the expense of their own fleeting perishment. Flowers drop their billowing petals and their enticing nectar dry up soon after they are pollinated. They have no use of their beauty and perfume anymore when their life's purpose is fulfilled: to bear fruit. This pursue of life also elevates our senses and incites deeper emotions in us. We cut fresh flowers, we distill essential oils. We are obsessed with immortalizing this momentary romance. We use rose water in baklava. We use lavender in skincare. And naturally, we put it in our drinks. Said to have started back in the Ming dynasty, tea master would pluck jasmine blossom off the bushes. Tea master carefully monitors the temperature to make sure the blooms remain open but not prematurely spent. Then they mix the flowers at their prime with the tea (oxidized and dried). The essence of the jasmines leaks into the tea. The blossoms are removed shortly after they start to wither. What remains is the magical moment of passion. Sometimes, multiple scenting sessions will be done to create optimized result. 2~2.5g tea of your choice 0.5g dry botanicals or 1~2g of fresh botanicals An easy hack to recreate a scented tea is by adding try botanicals to your tea, like our own blended tea Osmallure, which is a blended tea with baozhong tea and the enchanting osmanthus flowers. Experiment with different tea types and botanicals. More dominating flavors work better with more oxidized tea. Play with proportions, go heavy on the botanicals if you're looking for a floral bomb; show restrain on the added flavor if you're looking for more complexity, especially if you're using premium tea as your base, let its best attributes shine together with the flavor. Here are some common ideas: · rose + green tea · verbena + green tea · pine + oolong tea/black tea · rosemary + black tea · mint + green tea · lavender + black tea · sage + oolong tea · clove/cinnamon + pu'er tea Citrus cured tea There's nothing better to represent the feeling happiness than the zest of citrus. From sweet oranges to the uplifting limes, to the exotic yuzu to the complex grapefruit, there's a reason why citrus are so heavily utilized in cooking and drinks for the lift. They are undoubtedly the best mood boosters. This method are very common on the country side among farm steads. In the autumn, before the winter set in. Farmers hollow out the citrus, usually the thicker the skin and the pith, the easier it is to peel and stuff it with dried teas. The smaller the fruit is, the more pronounced the essence of citrus will be. Citrus cured teas need to be bound tightly with strings till they start to look like miniature pie pumpkin. Bear in mind that once it's dehydrated, the pith will shrink down gravely. It's hung up in the sun and left in the open space to dry. Once the skin of the citrus are completely dry, it's then moved indoors out of direct sunlight and hung up where it gets good air movement. You can starting consuming the tea at this stage, however, the scent will taste light and flavors not fully harmonious. Aging and "curing" tea with this method results in more lingering notes of citrus and in some cases, added perception of sweetness. Some are aged for more than 10 years or beyond! You can venture with different tea types. But teas that age well are inherently better suited for this method. Below are the steps of how you can cured your own tea with citrus fruit at home. For a fast hack, you can also visit Asian supermarket or traditional Chinese herbal shops and look for tangerine peel 陳皮 instead. Mix dried tangerine peel with your tea and brew it together adds some of the citrus spark and the cured sweetness. Fresh citrus peel can work in a slightly different flavor profile as well. But the fresh pith (the white part of the skin), lemon in particular, can taste bitter if infused for too long. 1 citrus fruit of your choice 200g to 800g of loose leave tea (entirely dependent on the cavity volume of the fruit. Oxidized tea types usually cure better. It's fine if the tea is broken, but not CTC.) 1. Slice the top portion of the fruit off, set aside for later use. Incise with a upward angle, as this will yield more incision surface area, making binding in the later stage easier. 2. Remove flesh completely and leave the fruit intact otherwise. Pack the hallow fruit with loose leaf tea of your choice. Don't be afraid to crush the tea. The density should resemble pu'er tea cakes. When using citrus with thinner skins, small tears happens and is fine. If the peel gets wet from the juice, bake it at 200°F for 10 to 15 minutes just till the peel no long feels wet but still soft. 3. Place the citrus lid on top of the stuffed fruit. Bind the fruit with twine ad tightly as possible without cutting into the fruit. You can place a piece of paper over the cut on the fruit as is often seen among tea makers. But as long as the cut is covered and bound tightly, it's not necessary. It's very common to tea the peel especially if you're working with citrus fruit that are smaller or with thinner pith. This is acceptable as long as the cut can be covered and secured. 4. Hang the fruit up to dry in the open that gets a good amount of direct sunlight till the skin is dry and hard. Avoid rainfalls. 5. Relocate the curing citrus tea indoor where it doesn't get direct sunlight but still has good air movement. 6. Cure the tea for at lease 6 months. Once broken open, remove the now scented tea in an air tight container and store in a dark and cool place. Earl Grey: the enchanting love song of the perfume It is known as of English origin, embraced by the people of England and worldwide. It's also the core ingredient of the trending London Fog. Story has it that it first came about as a gift from a Chinese tea master to Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey of the United Kingdoms. According to Howick Hall Garden's official website, It was created to suit the well water of the estate. The bergamot was used to mask the taste of lime from the water. Different than other methods, earl grey is usually done by applying botanical extract or food grade essential oil directly onto the dried tea. In the case of earl grey, cornflowers are sometimes added for its color and subtle taste of sweetness alongside dried lemon/orange peel. This variation of earl grey is sometimes called lady grey. Black teas are recommended for earl grey because more oxidized tea often competes better with the dominance of bergamot. Very much like cocktail, if you have a black tea that you would really like to highlight, you can use less bergamot, or mix it with other less commending essential oils like orange or lemon. Here are some recipes for a more traditional earl grey profiles: Classic earl grey 2g of Honeybrook or other black tea 0.5g of bergamot essential oil Spread essential oil with a mister directly on a ceramic dish or the inside of a container. Add tea to the dish or container. Gently move around the tea leaves. Store finished tea in a air tight container and store in a cool place away from direct light. Let the tea "mature" for a couple days. You will find the tea brews better and the tea characters comes up better. If you're creating your own earl grey with a premium black tea, adjust your profile so the tea's inept attributes can also shine. For example, instead of using the same amount of essential oil which may be dominating, you can mix or replace bergamot oil with other less intense essential oil such as orange. Tea forward earl grey This recipe is specially created for Crimson Jade, a TTES#18 tea from Taiwan that is delicate with notes of wild blossom, cinnamon and mint. Therefore we need a bit more restrain for the added essential oil here to keep the added flavors from becoming overwhelming. Increase the amount of essential oil to your preference. I like to look for balance where you taste mostly the tea with hint of bergamot in the aftertaste. When it comes to added flavor, if it's the first thing you taste, it's too much. 2.5g of Crimson Jade 0.25g of bergamot essential oil 0.25g of orange peel extract Lapsang Souchong: smoked tea Traditional lapsang souchong from Wuyi region in China does not come by easily. The process is still closely guarded to this day and it often comes with quite a price tag. It was said that the discovery of this method was rather a story of pivot and adaptation. Legend has it that in the end of the Ming Dynasty, tea masters threw freshly harvested tea on open flame to hasten the drying process so they can flee the attacks from the north. When the estate later resumed the process of the tea, the tea had already taken on the undeniable characters from the smoke. The tea was sold to the Dutch, who fell in love with this sophisticated and complex tea. The leathery smokiness opens up to notes of caramel and hints of dried fruit. The Dutch tea merchants soon went back for more. This demand paved way to improved techniques and process that refine this smoked tea. Nowadays, lapsang souchong is ususally processed in smoking huts that often reach several stories high. Tea makers often used pine woods for smoking. It is an acquired taste. In a lot of ways, lapsang souchong reminds me of a peaty scotch. With the help of a cocktail smoker, one can easily experiment and introduce smoke to the tea. I recommend using tea that's highly oxidized and preferably aged. The ideal tea for this experiment should have a ton of sweetness and some mild acidity. A small cocktail smoker is more suited as it would be easier to adjust how smoky the tea ends up to be. Any air tight container will work, but it should have ample room for the smoke to circulate initially. This also avoid the tea from getting heated up. 6g pu'er tea or other highly oxidized and aged tea cocktail or culinary smoker woodchips for smoker 1. Place tea in an air tight container. 2. Assemble the smoker on the container as per manufacturer's instruction. 3. Give the smoker 3 bursts of flame, each with an interval of couple seconds in between. This ensures that the container gets a good amount of smoke particles. 4. Secure the lid and let the tea sit at a dark and cool place for at least 30 minutes. Periodically and gently turn the container sideways. 5. Repeat step 4. to incorporate more smoky flavor to the tea to your preference. For a more subdued profile, instead of going lower with the smoke application, I recommend letting the smoked tea "rest" for overnight or longer. Conclusion There's something to be said about the process of creating flavors. Taste and aroma invoke emotions deep in us that are unique to ourselves. Through the experiments of binding the different characteristics of different ingredients, we revisit moments in our lives. Through the task of finding a balance between various flavor notes, we are also learning to consolidate life experiences and come to terms with the present. If you would allow it, our taste buds and senses can be shockingly therapeutic. This is for everyone. This can be as easy as putting two things together. However, I would be remiss if I don't stress on the fact that there is beauty also, in tradition, the legacy of a way of life, the history and cultural background. While I'm eager to share some easy tea hacks that can be put together in one's own kitchen, as much as I encourage everyone to experiment, I'm appreciative for all the tea masters that had dedicated a huge part of their everyday life to the perfection of their craft for moments to be shared and the pursue of flavor enjoyed. Taste and tune in to traditions are important. This keeps me grounded and it doesn't deny your creativity. I'm grateful for all the deliciousness there is, and I'm always on the discovery for more. I hope this post and those little hacks does not come across as taking light at the arts and crafts of tea making. Instead, I hope it encourages more people to explore the wonderful world of crafted flavor.

juicy · clean · milk chocolate La Pastora is a beautiful central American coffee from Costa Rica. It's clean with a smooth mouth feel, sweet with pleasant, stonefruit like acidity yet it's balanced with notes of cocoa. If you're getting this coffee for pourover, we highly recommend light roast which focuses on the delightful succulent nature of this coffee; if you're getting this coffee for espresso or if you plan to enjoy this coffee with condiment, we recommend medium roast which brings forward notes of molasses and creates a more comforting texture. Region: Los Santos, Tarrazu Grower: CoopeTarrazú Varietal: Caturra, Catuai Process: Fully washed and drum dried Altitude: 1200~1800 masl This coffee is available in light roast or medium roast which are our over-simplified terms to describe two different roast profiles we offer with this coffee. There isn't a significant color difference to these two options. However, we approach our light roast with an emphasis on the fruitiness whereas our medium roast were developed over lower heat initially. As a result, our light roast shows more acidity and clarity.  Our medium roast are generally more balanced and more suited for espresso and coldbrew.

Ice drip is sometimes referred to as Kyoto drip. It brews coffee using droplets slowly melted from ice and is served chilled. You might have come across a specialty coffee shop with an impressive glass Kyoto tower in the corner. It does bring a sense of wonder watching one dripping away, collecting dews of coffee essence in a jar of life restoring elixir. These elegant brewers are sometimes called Yama towers (Yama is one of the main manufacturers for ice drip tower). They are so beautiful to look at that they sometimes are used as an interior design element. Ice drip is more than just a pretty brewing vessel. The percolating nature of melting ice going through a bed of coffee ground creates a strong, rich concentrate that still has great clarity and nice presentation of acidity. It is sweeter tasting, more caffeinated and less acidic than hot brewed coffee. It takes 2 to 6 hours for a batch. And unfortunately, unlike its cousin cold brew, you can't simply set one up and walk away. You have to constantly keeping an eye on the progress. The good news is, with a little bit of attention, you can also enjoy making ice drip in the comfort of your home. This post is going to talk about my ice drip recipe with a simple set up and loads of barista tips from moi to help you succeed at brewing an memorable summer coffee alternative. 40g of coffee 400g of a combination of ice and water (more on that later!) Check out my other post for Japanese style iced coffee, too. Gear: ice drip maker The traditional Yama towers surely are serious investments. They are mostly made with glass parts and wooden support. The glass components require basic assembly and are fragile and not exactly easy breezy to clean. They can be pricy. However, smaller brewers are available nowadays, and more and more manufacturers are making more affordable models with different materials. A basic ice drip set up include the following parts: a water/ice reservoir, a droplet regulator, a slurry cylinder (the brewing chamber), coffee ground screen, structural support and a catching vessel. As long as you can find a replacement part that functions the same way, you can also create your own ice drip set up with tools you already own. A common tool hack is Aeropress. (shhh... you didn't hear it from me.) For my set-up, I'm adding paper filter beneath and on top of the coffee ground to serve as a screen and water diffuser respectively. Water for ice drip Coffee is 98% water. If you don’t like the water as is, you won’t like the coffee made from it. Use a soft water that has some mineral content for making coffee. If you use water that smells of bleach, the coffee will taste even worse. Make sure your ice and water are filtered. I'm using brewing water TDS of approximately 150ppm. The ratio of ice and water depends on the brewing environment and batch size. The bottom line is that you would need your ice to last close to the end of the brewing cycle, but it also has to melt steadily enough that you're never out of water droplets. For this recipe, the brew time is approximately 3 hours, I'm using 60g of water for blooming, 220g of ice and 120g of water for the brewing cycle. Coffee for ice drip You can use whatever roast level you prefer as long as the coffee is properly developed. However, since ice drip really give the finished coffee a nice acidity, I recommend trying coffee that has a succulent, juicy profile. Does it work with dark roast? Yes, it will make a tasty cup for sure. But again, if you're feeling dark roast, a cold brew might be a even better method; Light roast on the other hand can taste off balance especially if it's not even roasted past first crack or are dropped immediately after. Dose We are using 40g of medium ground coffee. The dose is depend on the volume of your brewing chamber. Be mindful that coffee ground expand after absorbing water. So a little headroom is needed. If you have to adjust your dosage, simply adjust your coffee to the entire water/ice weight ratio to 1:10. One of the common issues with ice drip coffee grind size is clogging. I strongly recommend shifting and discard the extreme fines in your ground coffee for this method. During the brewing, a little water pooling is acceptable as long as it remains shallow and your coffee output is approximately at the same rate as the droplets going in the slurry. If your slurry is dripping too slowly, make your grind size a little coarser till you get an even drip rate. ... collecting dews of coffee essence in a jar of life restoring elixir. Brew 1. Insert dry paper filter on top of your screen before dosing ground coffee. Using paper filter reduces the amount of small coffee particles getting lodged in your metal mesh screen or ceramic filter. 2. Measure and dose 40g of medium size ground coffee (after shift). Firmly tap downwards on the brewing chamber to reduce void between coffee particles. Be careful if working with glass made cylinders which often have fine and delicate tips. 3. Start a timer. Carefully and slowly saturate the coffee with 60g of cold water. Let bloom at room temperature till the timer reads 15 minutes. Start slow and don't pour more than 40g of water in the first 5 minutes gives the water more time to penetrate dry coffee ground. This can help with the even saturation of water and reduce the chances of water passing through prematurely due to channeling. It's common to see some coffee dripping through closer to the 15 minute mark. This is completely fine and will not affect the final brew. You can also use a spray bottle for water application. However, it's more labor-intensive and I don't recognize any apparent improvement in cup quality. 4. Place another paper filter on top of the wet coffee ground. 5. Assemble ice drip brewer on a steady counter space. Add 220g of ice and 120g of water to the water resovoir. Adjust the droplet regulator to about 1 drop of water per 3 seconds. 6. Revisit the brewer periodically to make sure the flow rate is consistent. I often observed the droplet regulator make incremental movements that slowly shut off or increase the drip rate. Monitor the brew closely can help you make adjustments in time. 7. Store finished concentrate in the fridge over night to further develop balance. Dilute with additional water to taste and serve with ice. Enjoy! There are some suspended invisible particles in the finish coffee. These tiny coffee particles continue to brew during storage and really bring more flavor and balance after a night in the fridge. Taste and dial in The taste factors of this methods are mostly tied to the coffee quality. Insignificant roast development often result in a pronounced vegetal profile. There's very little adjustments to be made but to use a different coffee. The necessary adjustments one needs to make with this methods are often based on visual cues from the brew. As aforementioned, if the coffee is dripping out much slower than the water drip rate or not at all. Coarsen the grind size or shift and discard the fines (smaller than 300 um) in the coffee. If you observe large void in the wet slurry, use a straw or chopstick to release the built up air bubble and tap to level the slurry. Compression is not recommended as it might disrupt the momentum of the percolation. If you experience slower melting rate due to cooler ambient temperature, adjust the water to ice ratio by replace a set amount of ice with the same weight of water, i.e. remove 20g of ice and add 20g of water; If the ice melts too quickly, do the reverse. Conclusion For anyone who enjoys a nice hot cup of pourover coffee, the challenges of iced coffee is that they often taste diluted and void of nuances. Even with a Japanese style pourover over ice, there might be an improvement on perceived acidity and complexity, but the balance, finish and texture is just not the same. Ice drip can be the answer for that. If anything, the serving temperature amplify the crispiness of notes of stonefruits and citrus from the coffee. When done right, ice coffee can be a real marvel in the heat of summer or just simply on its own around the year. The key to ice drip, is obsession.

floral · elegant · citrus Butterfly Valley is named after the Euploea butterflies that grace the valley every spring. This is an elegant washed coffee that's floral on the nose and juicy on the tongue. Aromas of honeysuckle, coffee blossom and lemon zest, tasting notes of citrus and nectar. This is a direct trade Taiwanese coffee that's available in our shop with very limited stock. This is a grafted geisha where the seeds and cherries are larger than typical geisha varietals. Butterfly Valley is the grafted geisha lot from our direct trade partner Hua Xi Tian Manor from Taiwan. The hilly terroir creates an ideal micro climate where the farms gets 5 to 6 hours of morning sunlight daily. Where it lacks altitutde, Hua Xi Tian Manor makes up with absolute passion and attention to their every crop. The cherries are picked at their best by the hands that planted the trees. Region: Gukeng, Yunlin, Taiwan Grower: Hua Xi Tian Manor Varietal: Geisha Process: Fully washed and sun dried Altitude: 700 masl

Amber Flora is a herbal tea blend with some of my favorite floral botanicals. As a hot tea, it really gives you that natural dark honey sweetness. As a cold brew tea, it's a completely floral bomb. Watching the flowers unfurl is a therapeutic experience in and of itself. I'm taking you for a closer look at what's in this romantic herbal tea blend and how to use it to make an enchantingly elegant and mesmerizing summer lemonade. Here are the ingredients of this blend and their proposed benefits. Please bear in mind that these benefits are researched under a presumed level of consumption. This tea is not meant as nutrient supplement or to treat illnesses and symptoms. rose Naturally antibacterial, Rose contains the phytochemicals; nerol, geraniol and citronellol which are effective against many strains of microbes and bacteria. Roses have been found to contain certain plant flavonoids that are exhibit antidepressant properties. According to the “Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health”, a study in Taiwan was conducted to discover if drinking Rose tea on a regular basis could reduce the occurrence and severity of menstrual cramping. The study, which comprised of 130 women, discovered that consuming Rose tea not only reduced cramping during periods but also noted a significant decrease in distress and anxiety. chrysanthemum Often served in dim sum restaurant with food and a perennial species from Asteraceae family, chrysanthemum is an elegant flower with a sweet honey like scent favored by Chinese poets of yore. Its dignified bloom is a beauty to behold. Naturally sweet, It makes a perfect herbal tea that is said to help reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and is packed with antioxidants. jasmine Jasmine has been used for liver disease (hepatitis), pain due to liver scarring (cirrhosis), and abdominal pain due to severe diarrhea (dysentery). It is also used to prevent stroke, to cause relaxation (as a sedative), to heighten sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac), and in cancer treatment. Women take it for menstrual disorders and vaginal yeast infections. lavender One of the most popular floral botanical, lavender known for its lovely scent and its ability to improve mood and sleep quality. It is often noted that lavender also reduces inflammation, calms the body, and minimizes muscle spasms. marigold/calendula Fresh edible marigold can be the perfect accent in a cocktail or dish. The less enchanting dried flowers are often used in tea and skincare products. Despite its slightly bitter taste, calendula tea is a traditional remedy used in folk medicine because of its ascribed therapeutic properties. It's packed with antioxidants. It may promote wound and skin ulcer healing. It has antifungal and antimicrobial properties and supports oral health. safflowers With a saturating red color, safflower tea is perhaps most famous for its ability to help lower cholesterol and improve the overall health of the heart. The herb is full of linoleic acid, and it’s this fatty acid that contributes to reducing cholesterol in the body, which in turn, prevents heart disease. It is anti-inflammatory and eases muscle pains as it reduces lactic acid build-up in the muscles, which produces painful cramping. heather/erica People take heather as a tea for kidney and lower urinary tract conditions, prostate enlargement, fluid retention, gout, arthritis, sleep disorders, breathing problems, cough, and colds. They also take it for digestive disorders such as diarrhea, spasms, and stomach pain (colic), and for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. It is sometimes used to cause sweating. In combination with other herbs, heather is used for treating diabetes, menstrual discomfort, menopause, and nervous exhaustion. Other uses include stimulation of digestion and regulation of the circulatory system. As I mentioned in Best Lavender Syrup and Iced Lavender Cappuccino, coldbrew is a great method for brewing flowers. Cold brew tea tends to preserve a lot of the magical aroma from flowers. The process alrhough slightly more time consuming, is fairly easy. Tea/syrup keeps for about 2 weeks in a refrigerator. To turn a simple lemonade into a summer backyard spectacle, I'm using Amber Flora to make a beautiful floral syrup. I add butterfly pea flower to add some amazing color and additional health benefits. Enjoy! Steps for amber flora syrup 1 Amber Flora tea bag 120g cold filtered water 200g white/cane sugar 100g hot water 1. Steep tea bag in the cold water at room temperature for up to 2 hours before moving it in the refrigerator overnight. 2. Dissolve sugar with hot water. Stir thoroughly to incorporate syrup as best as you can. 3. Take out the tea bag from coldbrew concentrate. Add concentrate to suryp and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Steps for butterfly pea flower concentrate 2g butterfly pea flowers 200g cold filtered water 1. Steep butterfly pra flowers in the cold water at room temperature for up to 2 hours before moving it in the refrigerator overnight. 2. Strain tea and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Steps for butterfly lemonade 60g frshly squeezed lemon juice 60g Amber Flora syrup Ice 200g cold filtered water 15g butterfly pea flower concentrate 1. In a tall ball glass, mix lemon juice with syrup. 2. Add ice to the glass and add filtered water. Don't mix at this stage to create a better color gradient before serving. 3. Carefully pour butterfly pea flower concentrate over lemonade and serve. You can try pouring concentrate on the floating ice cube. This technic helps to separate the butterfly pea flower concentrate so you have a more dramatic color presentation.

As the summer gets scorching hot, I am sharing my favorite espresso and tonic recipes to help you combat this heat with a touch of magic. Especially if you are looking for the next level iced coffee experience, espresso and tonic water is the perfect summer combo. Tonic water brings an electrifying cooling effect and a smudge of complexity. Try it as a satisfying espresso & tonic, or as a refreshing espresso fizz. Don't miss out on this summery delight! Espresso & berry tonic ingredients double espresso 20g berry jam/reduction 2~3oz quality tonic water steps 1. Mix espresso with any berry reduction of jam of your liking. You can choose any type of berry more other fruits. However, raspberry, cranberry and strawberry tend to have a touch more acidity, whereas blueberry and blackberry is comparatively more subtle. 2. Pour mixture over ice. 3. Top off with tonic water and serve. tips: use crushed ice instead and serve with a spoon to make this a more desserty experience! Homemade blueberry reduction ingredients 200g blueberry (or any other berry you prefer) 40g cane sugar (optional) steps 1. Heat up berries over medium-low heat. There's no need to add water. Berries will start to get glistening about 2 minutes in. Stir occasionally till it's all cooked down to liquid. About 10 minutes. 2. Turn off heat and add sugar. Mix well till sugar is dissolved. 3. Leave out at room temperature till reduction cools down. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. tips: If you prefer a smoother texture, pour the reduction through a strainer. If you want to add a little bit texture. Turn the heat off when you can still see a little pulp in the reduction. Espresso and marigold fizz ingredients double espresso 1 teaspoon cane sugar (optional) 6oz quality tonic water edible marigold flower or orange grind steps 1. In a shaker, mix espresso and sugar with some ice. Shaker vigorously. 2. Pour the shakerato into a glass. Pour a little bit of tonic water to mix with the espresso mixture first. This step is to reduce the "explosion" when you mix coffee and carbonated water. 3. Top off with more ice and the rest of the tonic water. Garnish with any edible flower or any citrus grind. Marigold and orange rind goes really well with this drink. Alternatively, use your favorite bitters.

While we appreciate the unique taste of different coffee origins, a little nicely done syrup can add flavor and transform your coffee into a treat. What better than a little bit of purple magic to spruce up your mid-summer iced coffee? We are sharing our favorite lavender syrup recipe so you can create this versatile syrup in just a few easy steps. The key to making a good lavender syrup is subtlety and extraction process. Lavender is one of these ingredients that can get overwhelming easily. We are looking for an elegant floral accent in this syrup instead of "drier sheets". To extract all that beauty lavender scent without bitterness, cold brew is an essential step. Finish lavender syrup can last up to 2 weeks in your refrigerator. You can use it in your coffee, Gin n' tonic or other cocktails, even in your panna cotta. The dreamy purple can may not last long into your brewing process. It will gradually turn into a light brown color. But this recipe truly yields a bottle of lavender dream that's the perfect touch for all the summer goodness. Homemade lavender syrup This recipe yields approximately 500g of finished syrup dried organic lavender flowers: 5g filtered cold water: 150g filtered hot water: 125g cane sugar: 250g Step 1: cold brew lavender concentrate In a clean container with lid, mix lavender flowers and cold water thoroughly. Let mixture sit on the counter at room temperature for 1 to 4 hours before moving the mixture and let it brew in the refrigerator overnight. Step 2: making syrup Mix cane sugar with hot water thoroughly till it dissolves. Strain the lavender concentrate into the simple syrup and mix well. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Iced lavender cappuccino Now that we've made the beautiful lavender syrup. Here's an example of how to enjoy it in a coffee. lavender syrup: 20ml ~30 ml double shot of expresso frothed milk: 200g Use a French press like milk frother can give you a well textured cold foam that transform this recipe into a perfect treat. However, you can also shake up the milk in a cocktail shaker to achieve a similar effect. Stay cool and refreshed!

Flash chilled pourover is a perfect iced coffee method to capture the beautiful acidity in your coffee when you want it iced. Many people refer to this method as Japanese style iced coffee. It’s a simple way to brew hot coffee over ice. Hot temperature helps the extract the acidity and release the aroma. Compare to cold brew, this method yields a glass of iced coffee that’s brighter, has more acidity and more refreshing. 28g of coffee 250g of hot water 80g of ice, plus more for serving Gear: cone shape pourer dripper This recipe is developed for our CEREMONY POUROVER DRIPPER or V60 and any 60 degree cone shape dripper. However, using flat bottom brewer such as Kalita Wave or Fellow Stagg will have very similar result. Water for pourover Coffee is 98% water. If you don’t like the water as is, you won’t like the coffee made from it. Use a soft water that has some mineral content for making coffee. If you use water that smells of bleach, the coffee will taste even worse. A little note for engineering your own coffee brewing water. Magnesium can really help brining the balance and sweetness to your coffee, I personally find a ratio of 1:2 of calcium and magnesium or even magnesium only works very well for this recipe (130ppm, PH7.3). Temperature between 205 ~ 212°F. Coffee for iced pourover You can use whatever roast level you prefer. However, since this method is using hot water for coffee extraction. It can really bring the brightness into your cup. Therefore we are recommending medium to light roast coffees with this method. Dose We are using 28g of medium-fine ground coffee, slightly finer than you would for a hot pourover. Brew 1. Rinse filter with hot water. Then set the dripper over a glass with about 80g of ice. 2. Measure and dose 28g of medium-fine coffee. 3. Slowly add about 60g of hot water for a 45 second bloom. Gently but effectively swirl the dripper to make sure all grounds are saturated. 4. Pulse pour with a careful and steady pour, only raise the slurry to 1/4 inch high at a time. Total water including the initial bloom is 250g. 5. Total brew time should be between 2’30” to 3’00”. The coffee is now around room temperature. Pour coffee over more ice and enjoy! Taste and dial in Mix coffee well before accessing the result. If you find the coffee to be more intense in flavor with a hint of saltiness, try using a coarser grind size or less coffee. If you prefer more acidity, use a shorter bloom time or a coarser grind size. Conclusion Temperature is your friend for coffee extraction. The release of wet aroma also makes this method a full sensual experience. The dilution of coffee may result in less body, but for a bright and fruity coffee, this method really makes a uplifting and quenching cup. Not to mention it’s ready in less than 5 minutes. Out of cold brew? Perfect time to give this Japanese style iced coffee a try.

Tea jassid, Jacobiasca formosaa, is a pale green little insect belonging to the family Cicadellidae. You see them among cotton trees and camellia sinensis species (tea trees). It’s noted that they are very sensitive to chemical and pollution. So only an organic farming practice can co-exist with them. They thrive in a pollution-free environment. They prefer warm and humid climate. When the bug nibbles on the leaves and stems of the tea trees, it triggers the tea trees to produce more monoterpene idol and hotrienol, which then give the processed tea a honey like sweetness. Honey black tea The eastern part of Taiwan, such as Hualien and Taitung, is very well known for its production of honey black tea. Common cultivar include ruanzhi (chin-shin-oolong, 青心烏龍), TTES #12 (Jinxuan, 金萱), TTES #13 (Cuiyu, 翠玉) and chin-shin-ganzai (青心柑仔). Honeybrook from our shop is a honey black tea from Pinling, Tawian, which is on the northern part of Taiwan. The cultivar is TTES #12 which gives this tea a hint of vanilla and creaminess. Oriental Beauty Oriental Beauty’s premium tea reputation dates back to the Japanese colonial era of Taiwan and was given its name by Queen Elizabeth II of England. Unlike Honey Black Tea, this tea is only partially fermented to about 60~80%. Common cultivar include chin-shin-dapan 青心大冇, ruanzhi (chin-shin-oolong, 青心烏龍), manzhong 慢種, TTES #12 (Jinxuan, 金萱), TTES #13 (Cuiyu, 翠玉). It is said chin-shin-dapan produces the best quality of Oriental Beauty.. Leaves for oriental beauty are usually picked in the summer. Farmers carefully selected one-tip two-leaf, including what’s also known as FOP, OP and pekoe, for the delicate flavor of oriental beauty. Finished tea has a tint of rust with white to yellow tips. Eastern Beauty from our shop is a classic oriental beauty picked from the cultivar of manzhong, a cultivar known for budding late into the heap of summer when the jassids are populous. Comparison Dry aroma from both tea shows a scent of fresh honey. The honey scent on Honeybrook is really heavy, but yet at the same time more one dimensional, whereas Eastern Beauty may have a more subtle honey aroma, but it also carries a lovely wild flower aroma and scent of ripe fruit. Honeybrook tea shows a deep red color, as it’s usually fully fermented. The tea reflects its honey aroma with a creamy finish that reminds you of vanilla. Eastern Beauty is comparatively more delicate and much more complex. It has more acidity, more subtle on the overall sweetness, but is more uplifting and elegant. Linalool Linalool refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants.* In 1990, a Japanese researcher Akio Kobayashi 小林彰夫 conducted a test on Oriental Beauty tea and held a comparison between Oriental Beauty and other oolong teas and black tea that had not experienced the presence of tea jassids. Kobayashi found that Oriental Beauty contains a lot of linalool. The linalool I and linalool II content is almost ten times more than tea that has not been beaten by tea jassids. Oriental Beauty teas is also rish in 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol, which in the highest reading was almost 20 times more than other teas. Kobayashi revisited this research again in 1996 to include samples of Honey Black Tea in the comparison. As consistent to his early test, both Oriental Beauty and Honey Black Tea shows a much higher content of 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol. He also discovered that both teas has high level of 2,6-dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol, especially in Oriental Beauty. While other non beaten teas show very little traces of this alcohol. He concluded that 2,6-dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol (due to the abnormal metabolism of the tea trees from the insect bites) and 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol (occurs during the dehydration phase of tea production) are what give Oriental Beauty and Honey Black Tea their muscat flavor. A Chinese tea scholar and author Zongmao Chen 陳宗懋 took a closer look at 2,6-dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol and has an interesting theory on why the tea trees produces this particular compound after beaten by tea jassids. He discovered this particular alcohol attracts Evarcha albaria, a natural predator of tea jassids. In other words, after being beaten by tea jassids, the tea trees produce this chemical to “call out”to Evarcha albaria for pest control. He went further to experiment when using machines to simulate bites on leaves, the tea trees produce a different chemical for self defense. But when samples of tea jassid secretion were introduced to the mechanical needles of the simulation, the tea trees once again, started producing 2,6-dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol, proving it is indeed produced to the presence of tea jassids.** Conclusion Nature is fascinating and complicated. Through the collection of human experiences and the history of tea culture. We’ve managed to turn one species’ protective response to threats into a delicious nectar that brings us joy. * Wikipedia ** 吳聲舜 蜜香茶的祕密

A naturally sweet tea harvested in the summer. Organically grown where the tea jassids trigger the tree to release a honey like sweetness. Aroma of fresh honey. A smooth tea with a hint of dried plum. Jacobiasca formosana is important in the production of this tea. It can only be achieved where the plantation suffers very little pollution and uses virtually zero pesticide. Most of the time, this tea is naturally organic. The insects, which thrive in warmer, pollution-free environments, suck the phloem juices of the tea stems, leaves, and buds, producing monoterpene diol and hotrienol which give the tea its unique flavor.* Eastern Beauty is also a tea that depends on tea jassids to create its one of the kind flavor. However, Eastern Beauty are usually lighter-fermented and is more floral and fruity whereas a honey black tea like Honeybrook is usually more fermented and tastes rounder and has a sweetness of darker color sugar. Honeybrook comes from TTES #12, which is commonly called jinxuan. Jinxuan is a tea that has a creamy finish with a hint of vanilla. I first got into this type of tea is when I was living in Hualien, a city right between the mountains and the Pacific, on the east side of Taiwan. Even now, I still remember the smell of the ocean whenever I smell this comforting and rounded tea. Brew recommendation (Western style) dose: 2.5g recommended water temperature: 205°F first brew: 150g water for 3 mins second brew: 100g water for 5 mins Brew recommendation (Gongfu style) dose: 6g recommended water temperature: 205°F first brew: 100g water for 50 seconds second brew: 100g water for 60 seconds third brew: 100g water for 70 seconds * Kazufumi Yazaki "Molecular Mechanism of Plant - Insect Interaction via Plant Volatile Compounds and its Application."

Referencing my previous reflections on coffee freshness and particle size distribution, I have determined the best practice to make pre-ground coffee stay as fresh-tasting as possible is to sift, vacuum and flush it with nitrogen before sealing it in an air tight container. But what if I am wrong? What difference does it make if I forego any of the above steps? I decide to do a little sensory evaluation on ground coffee under different storage condition. In my previous research and experiment during the conception of COFFEE IN A POUCH, I’ve already concluded that for long term storage, it’s best to reduce the amount of the extreme fines in ground coffee. In comparison, I noticed the water passed through the ground coffee sample without fine reduction much slower than the sample with a reduced amount of fines. In this simple taste comparison, samples are the same batch of coffee, all sifted to reduce the presence of extreme fines. The first sample is then vacuumed, flushed with nitrogen before sealing in an airtight pouch. The second sample is also vacuumed but sealed immediately afterwards. The third sample is vacuumed (so it went through the same VOC displacement as other samples) but not sealed at all. This coffee is roasted on 1/18/2022, processed on 1/31/2022. The taste evaluation is conducted on 5/15/2022. The first part of this evaluation is for immersion brewing environment. dose: 13g water: 225g Particle size distribution: under 400μm is 0.4g, between 400μm and 800μm is 2.65g, between 800μm and 1000μm is 9.95g Evaluation: The TDS on all three samples are identical. The result between the first and second sample is in fact quite similar. However, the first sample does exhibit more defined tasting notes. I was able to pick out peach and other nuances in the brew. The second sample showed a higher level of acidity, but is comparatively less balanced and complex. The third sample smelled slightly rancid upon assessment. And it is also the far inferior brew of the three. The second part of this evaluation is for percolated method. dose: 14g water: 225g Particle size distribution: under 400μm is 0.4g, between 400μm and 800μm is 2.05g, between 800μm and 1000μm is 11.15g Evaluation: With a coarser grind setting. The first and second samples showed a more vibrant aroma with more floral and fruit forward attributes. The TDS on the first sample is 1.5%, brew time is 3’26”. The TDS on the second sample is 1.2%, brew time is 2’52”. Brew quality between the first and second is yet again very similar. The first sample again showed a more defined flavor profile. I could taste lime grind vividly where the second sample showed a sharper acidity and was over all more muted. The TDS of the third sample is 2%, brew time is 2’45”. Stale aroma and the cup quality is significantly worse. After this quick experiment, I was pleased to know my current practice regarding COFFEE IN A POUCH and POUROVER IN A POUCH does result in a higher cup quality than other potential workflow. A little context here is that during the conception of Halfway There Coffee, I already did multiple experiments on this matter. So it’s not like I just blindly started this process without accessing the corresponding result. But it’s still nice to know that I haven’t strayed. That being said, in today’s evaluation, I did not conduct multiple samples to obtain a less incidental data. So the result of this experiment should only serve as a reference rather than a scientific conclusion. I do find it interesting to know that even after months, the slightly coarser grind showed more presence of VOCs. One other thing is I’ve always known COFFEE IN A POUCH produces more consistent results. But I was not expecting the TDS to be identical. But after all, one should not obsess over TDS too much as it tells us very little about the content of its reading. How to store pre-ground coffee at home? There are some chemicals in the roasted coffee that react to oxygen and turn into a different chemical that we attribute to the coffee tasting stale. Heat also accelerate that process. That's why when it comes to coffee storage, especially pre-ground coffee, airtight and storing in a cool place away from light source are generally a good direction. Gas displacement is comparatively more difficult to achieve in a home setting. But there are ways to reduce the oxygen level of your coffee storage at home. Vacuum canister For a vacuum method, Fellow Products has a Atmos Vaccum Canister that can reduce the oxygen level in the jar. I personally recommend placing a piece of coffee filter on top of the ground coffee before sealing. This canister creates vacuum by ejecting small amount of air out of the jar every time you "twist" the lid. There is a pressure indicator on the lid that sinks in whenever a pressurized environment has been created (like an instant pot). Gas displacement For a nitrogen flush method, you can utilize a whipped cream dispenser. Make sure the dispenser is clean, dry and free of odor before use. Place a piece of coffee filter over pre-ground coffee. Aiming the dispenser at the filter and flush your air tight container with nitrogen before quickly closing the container. This method is not perfect. The execution can get a little messy and it may take you couple times of practice to get the hang of it. Pre-ground in small batches Pre-grinding coffee may lose some of its precious chemicals and accelerate the natural phenomenon of flavor deuteriation. Grinding breaks down whole beans into significantly smaller particles, therefore increasing surface area, making it much easier for gas to escape and for oxidation to take place at a faster pace. However, for general coffee consumption, you can still achieve a very decent cup quality within 4 to 6 days after grinding. So when you do have to pre-grind your coffee. as long as you do so in small batches, allowing you to consume the coffee within a short period of time, and making sure you keep the container in a cool and dark place away from light source, you can still enjoy a good quality coffee. As a matter of fact, the quality of the coffee itself and ground quality might play a bigger role in pre-ground coffee preparation. Utilize your local roaster where you get your coffee from. Some coffee roasters even provide pre-ground option for online orders. However, I will still recommend not grinding any smaller than you would for an aeropress setting. I will also recommend leaving your coffee 7~10 days to "rest" after the roast date before grinding. This ensures you have a more even consistency of your coffee ground. It also give the "roasty"-tasting compounds a chance to dissipate.

A perennial species from Asteraceae family, Chrysanthemum is an elegant flower with a sweet honey like scent favored by Chinese poets of yore. Its dignified bloom is a beauty to behold. Naturally sweet, It makes a perfect herbal tea that is said to help reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and is packed with antioxidants. You often see Dim Sum restaurants serve chrysanthemum tea, not only does it help alleviate the heaviness of the feast, its honey like sweetness and beautiful scent is a delight and has been my personal favor since I was little. It makes perfect sense to include chrysanthemum in our floral herbal tea Amber Flora. There are hundreds of different chrysanthemums. Here are the three different types from my cardboard: Chrysanthemum buds 胎菊 Said to be the best quality for making chrysanthemum tea, the buds are harvested around late October while the buds have just barely opened. Scent is mild, tea takes a faint hue of pale yellow, and the taste is subtle and pure with a lingering aftertaste of honey. Golden threads 金絲皇菊 Often packaged by individual flowers, this chrysanthemum is a majestic tea to brew, especially in a glass tea pot or cup. Tea takes a warm yellow hue. Tea tastes mild and sweet just as the chrysanthemum buds, however, comparatively has higher intensity and a hint of bitterness. Snow Chrysanthemum 雪菊 Appearance is strikingly different than the other two, this tea takes an amber-ish red color. A much stronger wild floral scent with a hint of medicinal herbs. The tea tastes stronger, too. it reminds me of preserved plums. Kunlum Mountains from Xinjian, China is famously known for growing the best snow chrysanthemum. Its ability to reduce blood pressure is so effective that it’s required to put on warnings on the package to prevent discomfort from low blood pressure consumers.